Stationery rack



Dec. 12, 1933. c. A. CUTLER 1,939,108

STATIONERY RACK Filed March 7. 1932 CLIFFORD A C TLER Patented Dec. 12, 1933 UNITED sTATEs PATENT oerica- Q 1,939,108- STATIONERY BACK 7 Clifford A. Cutler, Buffalo, N. Y. e

Application March 7, 1932. Serial No. 597,147 fiClaims. (01. 129-43) My device relatesin general to a stationery rack, and in particular to a device of this nature in which writing paper is held in convenient manner ready for instant use.

The principal object of my invention has bee to provide a device of this nature whioh'may be used, if desired, on top of a desk, but which is preferably placed within a desk drawer, thereby providing it with means whereby various sizes and kinds of writing paper may be kept separate but ready at all times for instant use.

Another object has been to provide a device of such a nature that the drawer containing the same maybe almost entirely closed when the holding means is moved to its open position.

Moreover, my device is of such a nature that the paper held thereby is moved to a vertically inclined position which not only provides easy access to the various sheets of stationery, but also 20 makes it very convenient to arrange paper of various sizes.

Furthermore, my device is simple and cheap to manufacture and utilizes about one-half of the space ordinarily occupied in a desk drawer which is equipped with the usual stationery rack provided with partitions carriedv by the drawer.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawing, of which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my device with the parts'thereof ready for use.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, sectional elevation of the same showing the device in use within a drawer.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified form of mounting of the rack bar.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing another form of rack bar pivotally secured to the front of a desk drawer.

In the following description, where I have used the term stationery, I mean paper writing materials such as those used for correspondence pur poses.

My device comprises a body of box-shaped formation having front and rear walls 11 and 12 and side walls 13 and 14. The width of the body Arranged in the front part of the from its fully closed position to the fully opened position.

The rack bar carries a plurality of rack mem bers 17 and-18. Each of these members may be of wire and of inverted U-shape', havingits ends secured in the rack bar 15. The rack'members 1'7 are of a length to "support the largest size paper which it is desired to hold in the rack and the members 18 are preferably only slightly longer than the shorter size stationery which it is desired to place in the rack. These rack members are arranged parallel to each other and in interspaced relation, whereby a number of spaces are provided for the stationery. Obviously,' these racks may be of any desired length to properly hold the desired size of stationery and they may be varied in' number to suit the various kinds and sizes of stationery. The length of the body 10 and the lengthof the members 1'7 will depend upon the largest size of stationery which it isdesired to hold in the rack. The rear wall 12 is so positioned with respect to the rack bar that there will be some space between it and the longest sheet of paper held by the device when the rack members are in the horizontal or closed positions, as indicated by the dotted lines" in Fig. 2. The top edge 19 of the rack bar extends some distance above the top rack member 18 and in this projecting face there is preferably formed a circularly-shaped groove 20 for reception of' the fingers when it is desired tomove the rack bar with its rack members from its horizontal position to its vertically inclined position. In-

, stead of making the rack members of wire, it is obvious that sheet metal plates may be used.

The lower edge 21 of the rack bar is arranged some distance above the bottom 22 of the body and below it there is provided a central, longitudinal partition 23 whereby spaces are provided on each side of the partition for the storage of envelopes.

In the form of invention shown in Fig. 3, the rack bar 30 is mounted within the body 31 by being pivoted at its forward lower edge 32 either to the partition 33 or to the side walls 34 of the body. A hinge 35 or other suitable pivotal means may be employed.

In Fig. 4 I have shown my device as mounted within a desk drawer 36. An overhanging strip 3'7 is preferably formed on the drawer front 38 at the upper, inner edge thereof, and below this strip'is mounted the rack bar 39. This bar is preferably attached to the strip 3'7 by means of a hinge 40 extending along the upper edge of the bar. The upper rack member 41 may bepro vided with an upstanding portion 42, whereby the rack bar may be conveniently moved to its open position.

In Fig. 2, I have indicated in dotted lines a desk top 25 and a desk drawer 26 with one of my stationery racks arranged in the front end of the drawer, which shows the economy of drawer space in the use of my device. Since all of the stationery held by the device is arranged with the lower edges of each lot or size resting on the rack bar itself, as hereinbefore pointed out, it is only necessary that the length of the device be slightly longer than the longest sheets of stationery used. When the longest sheet of paper used is the standard 8" x11" letterhead, the device leaves 'substantially one-half of the length of the standard desk drawer unused. This space which is usually occupied by the. ordinary stationery rackpermanently formed in the drawer may thus be used for other purposes. When my device is in its storage position, the rack bar is moved down so that the wire rack members will be lying in the horizontal plane as shown by the dotted lines of Fig. 2, but when it is desired to make the contents of the device accessible for'ready use, the drawer containing the. device is withdrawn from the desk only sufliciently far to permit the rear edges of the paper container therein to clear the'forward edge of the desk-top 25. The operator then places his fingers within the groove 20 of the rack bar and tips the bar with its wire rack members to a vertically inclined position such as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2.-, When in this position the drawer can be closed until the rear wire rack member 1'? engages the front edge of the top in which position very little of the desk drawer will be. projecting beyond the face of the desk. In suchposition all the stationery will be exposed and so-located that any desired size may be conveniently removed from the rack for use. Obviously, when it is desired to close the drawer, it is onlynecessaryto withdraw-it again to the position where the paper held thereby will clear the edge of the top of .the desk whereby the wire rack members are again moved to their horizontal position.

It is, of; course,-not necessary that front and rear walls 11 and 12 be provided so long as means are provided for pivotally mounting the rack bar 15 and for frictionally holding the same in position. To this end the side walls 13 and 14 may be dispensed with if desired, and the rack barpart of a desk drawer. In the event the rack bar' were carried by the side walls of a desk, the bottom 22 of the body 15 would also be dispensed with and the partition 23 for the envelopes would be carried by the bottom of the drawer.

These and other modifications of the details herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the exact embodiment herein shown and described, the form shown being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is;

1. As an article of manufacture, a stationery rack comprising a rack bar, means for longitudinally pivoting said rack bar, and a plurality of interspaced, inverted, U-shaped wire rack members rigidly carried by the bar.

2. As an'article of manufacture, a stationery rack comprising a body having side walls and a bottom, a rack bar pivotally held between the sidewalls, a plurality of interspaced rack members rigidly carried by the rack bar, and a partition carried by thebottom and arranged underneath the rack bar. 7

3. The combination with a desk drawer, of a stationery rack comprising a rack bar carrie d by the drawer, means for pivotally mounting the rack bar, and a plurality of interspaced rack members rigidly carried by the rack bar.

4. The combination with a desk drawer, of a stationery rack comprisinga rack bar carried by the drawer, means for pivotally mounting the rack bar, and a plurality of interspaced rack members rigidly carried by the rack bar and varying in length to correspond with the stationery designed to be stored between them.

5. As an article of'manufacture, a stationery 115 rack comprising a rack bar, means for longitudinally-pivoting said rack bar, and a plurality of interspaced rack members carried by the rack bar and arranged in planes parallel to the longitudi-' nal axis of the rack bar, whereby a plurality of 120 parallel filing spaces is provided.

6. As an article of manufacture, a stationery rackcomprising a body having-side walls, a rack bar frictionally pivoted at its ends between the side walls, and a plurality of interspaced rack 125 members rigidly carried by the rack bar.

CLIFFORD A. CUTLER. 

